


Nightmares and How to Deal With How They Affect Your Loved Ones: A Guide by Kravitz the Reaper

by BeautyInTheLibrary



Category: TAZ - Fandom, The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Adoption, Bonding, Canon Era, Comfort, Dealing With Trauma, Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Bonding, M/M, Night Terrors, Nightmares, Other, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-08 01:58:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14684052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeautyInTheLibrary/pseuds/BeautyInTheLibrary
Summary: Kravitz thought taking on a constant physical form was going to the biggest thing he would really deal with after he entered a serious relationship with Taako, but there was so much more about mortal living than that. So many curveballs being thrown at him and the terrors that had his love waking in the middle of the night had not been on the list of things he was expecting. Kravitz was a quick learner, however, and was always up for a challenge especially if he could soothe Taako's rocky world and pour his love in this project.





	Nightmares and How to Deal With How They Affect Your Loved Ones: A Guide by Kravitz the Reaper

Kravitz has been slowly getting used to many things these last few years. Having a constant physical form had taken some time to adjust to, for one. Another thing was the social interactions with other, Taako was one thing but other people, the people connected with Taako, that had been a trip.

All in all, the reaper thinks he’s been doing a fair job with these and many other things. He didn’t want to brag, but he was a quick learner and always up for a good challenge. He felt like he was really getting a handle on this mortal thing, if he did say so himself.

There was something that really did rattle his confidence on this mortal understanding, though. Something he had completely forgotten about in his centuries of undead service to the Raven Queen. It was the nightmares.

Kravitz wasn’t the one experiencing them, though, it was Taako. Something he wasn’t aware of until they got a house together and spent every night tangled up in each other. 

The first night it happened was naturally startling and when Kravitz woke Taako from the grip of the dreams the elf had fled the room and told him to mind his business. It was confusing to say the least, but by then Kravitz knew how hard it was for Taako to allow himself be vulnerable in any way even with him.

Taako wouldn’t talk about it, not the next morning or for weeks until it happened again…and again. Then it began to become unavoidable any longer.

Eventually, Taako spilled after one or five too many glasses of wine. That he had nightmares of some of the cycles of his century of running from the Hunger. Sometimes it was when Lup changed into a Lich but instead it didn’t work and the magic tore her apart leaving him alone.

There were many horrors bouncing around in Taako’s head but there were fewer solutions. Kravitz had attempted many things.

Holding Taako was a terrible plan; it made the elf feel trapped during his terrors instead of comforted as Kravitz had hoped. It had earned the reaper elbows to the face more than once. 

Waking him was better, but getting Taako to allow Kravitz to soothe him afterwards was a difficult task. Taako was difficult and stubborn in normal situations but times like this he only got worse. It took time, but time Kravitz gladly spent, to get Taako to allow him close and whisper comforting words and light kisses to his temples and forehead.

After some months, Taako wouldn’t make Kravitz work for it; he would bury himself in the reapers arm. Tuck his head under Kravitz’s chin and press as close as physics would allow until he calmed down and started believing Kravitz when he said everything was alright now. They won.

Just as Kravitz thought he had this mortal thing down pat, a wonderful wrench got thrown into the works. 

It was just about half a year or so after the day of Story and Song when Taako brought up the idea of possibly having a little family of their own. Something Kravitz had noticed had been very difficult for Taako to finally bring up, the weeks prior had been concerning to say the least. When the elf finally told him, Kravitz had been so relieved and surprised that he went skeletal, which Taako still teases him about.

Taako had just the little genius detective in mind for their family, a little orphan boy that reminded the elf a little too much of himself. A boy he wouldn’t allow to live a life like he and Lup had to, not when Angus didn’t have a Lup to watch out for him. It swayed Kravitz instantly.

Angus had nearly fainted when they asked him to join their family; he had cried and accepted without hesitation. 

There was a whole affair with all of the Seven Birds and friends when they officially adopted the boy. It was a grand night and one of the best days to this day in Kravitz’s life, well death? After life? Whatever one wished to call this, this beautiful chaos he found himself in.

A month after Angus moved in was when Kravitz started to notice something was a little off at night. At first he thought he woke to Taako having another troublesome dream, but his beautiful elf was peacefully wrapped in his arms each time. The house was silent and still. 

Kravitz chalked it up to his imagination or something his physical form was still getting used to, such as sleeping itself.

It was the night right after that that had him waking again to find nothing amiss, but something had most definitely altered him to the waking world. He carefully removed himself from Taako and the bed, slipping out silently into the hallway.

Thump.

A small noise from somewhere in the house, had something fallen over? No, too soft, it had to be something moving around in the house.

Kravitz summoned his scythe in precaution as he crept down the hall, passing Angus’ room just as a small yelp came from inside.

Kravitz whipped around towards the door, bursting inside the small boys room prepared to defend his newly taken in son with his life, or you know, to that effect. 

What he came upon, though, was not an enemy but an empty room, save for Angus sitting up in his bed terrified, screaming again when Kravitz rushed in.

“What the fuck?” They both heard muffled from back down the hall where Kravitz had left Taako. 

Kravitz quickly dematerialized his scythe and threw on a small lantern on Angus’ desk to allow the boy to see it was only him. Hoping it would give Angus a little peace of mind and calm down the situation.

Soft padding came down the hall and Taako appeared in the door way with mussed up hair and disheveled pajamas. Breathtaking, Kravitz thought, but he put that aside for the situation at hand.

“What the hell you doin?” Taako demanded as he took in the scene, putting his hands on his hips as he waited for an explaination.

“I…” Kravitz said, looking over at Angus who was calmer now but now just as confused as the elf. “I thought I heard someone in the house. Angus, are you alright?” 

Angus looked at each of them nervously, a little ashamed even, which concerned Kravitz more.

“I…I’m okay sir!” Angus said, gripping his comforter in his hands tightly.

“You yelled though.” Kravitz said.

“You burst into my room real sudden, sir.” Angus countered, reaching up to adjust his glasses only realize he wasn’t wearing them.

“Yea, Krav, peeps dun usually like that when they sleep.” Taako teased from the door, which he was leaning against now with his arms crossed.

“No, Angus, before that, I heard you in distress.” Kravitz insisted, he knew what he heard.

Angus looked embarrassed, which was confusing the reaper further, and looked elsewhere than his new parents.

“Um…I mean…” Angus mumbled. “I may have, uh, been having a nightmare, that’s all. It’s not a big deal.” He insisted.

Taako’s ears perked up at this, sharing a meaningful look with Kravitz who nodded in understanding. Kravitz slowly moved to the bed, sitting on the edge of it and gently ruffling Angus’ curls.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Kravitz asked.

“No.” Angus said far too quickly and he knew the jig was up instantly. “No…” He mumbled defeated, but Kravitz knew better at this point to push on this subject.

“It’s okay, Ango.” Taako said as he came into the room and kneeled down in front of the little boy. “Nightmares are no fun, but nothin to be ashamed of.”

Angus looked surprised at the least, Kravitz couldn’t blame him. Taako being open was rare but he was trying more, especially when it came to Angus. 

“I…” Angus struggled. “I don’t…”

“You don’t gotta talk about it, bubbleh, not unless you wanna.” Taako assured him, putting a hand over one of Angus’. His grip on the comforter started to loosen.

“Hey kiddo, you wanna have a little sleep over with Kravitz and me?” Taako suggested, looking over at Kravitz for agreement. Kravitz smiled softly at the prospect.

Angus looked at the both of them hopefully and relived.

“Yes, I would like that a lot.” Angus said in a small voice like he was unsure the offer was legit.

Taako grinned and scooped up the little boy as he stood up to his full wizarding height, putting Angus on his hip like he was a toddler and not the eleven year old he was. He carried the boy back to his and Kravitz’s bedroom with the reaper following close behind.

Taako settled Angus in the middle of their soft king sized bed and climbed in on his size as Kravitz got in on his own side. Angus curled up into a good comfortable position between the two of the most important people in the world. 

“Goodnight babe.” Taako mumbled as he hooked an arm around Angus. “New cuddle buddy, sorry bone daddy.”

“I’ll try to survive this betrayal.” Kravitz teased as he watched Angus light up with delight at the affection. “Goodnight Angus, goodnight love.”

“Goodnight sirs.” Angus said, glancing at each of them as Taako already started drifting back to sleep and Kravitz closing his eyes. “Goodnight dads.” He said nearly silently as he shut his eyes despite the grin growing across his face.

Angus never had nightmares when in their bed surrounded by love and assurance, something Kravitz added to his guide on how to deal with nightmares and how they affected his loved ones. A long chapter in his growing novel of the mortal world, but one he gave a lot of care to. He’d do his best to change those terrors into good dreams. Like the ones they gave him for being in his life, well…no, this was what living was, wasn’t it? And life was getting good.


End file.
